nimbus

Breaking my radio silence to hurl this fantastic animation (imho) to the Tumblr masses so it can get the love it deserves. :D My reaction (TLDR I can't stop singing its praises): +Beautiful animation and visuals. Love the intentionality and realism to the set pieces (machinery gets used for cover). I loved how the weapons had heft, the droids felt mechanical and brutal, the clones were simultaneously vulnerable and incredible. They felt like real soldiers with real fears and the drive to protect each other. +Cody gets to use his jetpack and rifle. It's about time! +I think my favorite moment from the short is the sunlight coming through the larty door and Cody's demeanor changing from brooding to thoughtful and present, before he looks at his men with pride. That scene just oozes everything good about Cody: Seeing the good moments and appreciating them, living for them. Appreciating and being there for his brothers, what they've accomplished together and who they are as individuals. And there are numerous moments throughout the short of his men showing their individual drive and flair, putting those skills to use. +The fight gets a bit desperate and I'm not entirely certain of the story behind it (Cody kinda fights a bit recklessly, though it surprises the droids and pays off in the end). I feel like they were sent there to investigate a dilapidated and 'abandoned' droid depot, and obviously it was a trap set up by Grevious. I'm a bit anxious as to knowing how they'll get out of there alive but I also remember well the one episode in CW where like three or four 212th boys pile on top of Grevious after the Droid General spider walks at them, no less. +I loved the little nods to the Gendy Tarkovsky Clone Wars animated series. The Squad Seven-esque entrance, the Grevious jumpscare, the dilapidated droid depot. I also felt like this was a parallel to Astartes, which I adore also (it got me into Warhammer 40k lore). :) +There was a lot of thought and care put into the character models. I love how realistic they are. Things like seeing the weathering on Cody's face, the grubbiness of the 212th's armor, the way the light hit the different materials --- it really told a sub-story about where the war is at and what these characters have been through up until this point. +Camera angles were great. They elevated the scenes into something akin to Andor or other thoughtfully shot shows or movies. The angles all had a purpose --- from establishing the staging area to giving Cody's charge at the droids extra momentum and scope (watching those B2 bolts whip after him had me on the edge of my seat). I appreciate the skill and awareness of Hoplite for not just creating these shots but using them masterfully to create pacing and feeling.

For real though. :( ][warning, salty rant ahead x_x 🧂)

I saw the assassin clone get up after being blown up and being a defiant little shit to Wolffe and was like, "Oh, shit. Is that my boi?" 😨 Overall, I just don't trust the show not to throw him under the bus like this.

First we had the curse of 'by the book' and "Haha, Cody boring! Nobody (Jedi) wants to bring him along on missions because he's dumb!" Then we had the entirely of Clone Wars show where he never once got to use his jetpack or do basically any paratrooper stuff, train anybody, or be part of the breakthrough of clones being allowed to have names/identities (the show literally never explains how this went from being illegal and neigh punishable by death or 'reprogramming' to "All the good guys call clones by their names cuz they're human beings."). History with Bad Batch, nah. Squad Seven, nah. How he went AWOL from the Empire, nah. Then the inhibitor chips taking away any nuance or grey areas of Order 66 ...

At this point, I'm just waiting from them to take the very last shreds of his agency and personality away and basically turn him into the Phase 0 Dark Trooper that I was so afraid I was going to see when this series began. There's a reason why I keep watching "The Solitary Clone" from last season. Not only does it showcase some of the best parts of who Cody is and what he does, but it got to the core questions and subtleties of who the clones are and the problems they face. (basically everything I wanted from this show and Clone Wars)

It's such a weird feeling knowing that a character that quickly grew into more than just a flat background character, and built the foundation (alongside Alpha) for opening the door to all anti-war themes and other clone characters, could be back in the picture purely to receive more punishment as a mere plot device. And, I know that Cody's story is not one that the showrunners were interested in telling at any point, but it's such a bummer for me if this is how they plan on bringing his story to its canonical conclusion. Especially after the absolute gem of his episode in season 2 giving us snatches of these deeper existential themes of war, power, and being trapped in a system that harms people.

In essence, I have a bad feeling about where season 3 is going.

An unfinished pencil sketch from last year that I thought I'd share. Here Cody is wearing some Mandalorian armor and holding his characteristic DC 15A.

I still have an itch to do a 'draw this again' on my original "Cody Wearing Mandalorian Armor" (and even Jedi-Cody) from a million years ago (lol, all the angst and dislike/misunderstanding Jedi back then 😅). I spent some time today trying to get my equally ancient drawing tablet + software up and running, so hopefully I can start making some more colorful stuff again. :)

Here's to my favorite Star Wars character, probably one of my favorite characters of all time. :D

I don't want to get too cheesy here but I learned things about leadership, humanity, and just an outlook on life in general from him that I will continue to carry with me throughout life.

I don't know what else to say about Cody without, idk, coming across as sappy or something, so I'll try to condense it down into these main thoughts/things I learned from him:

No matter where life takes me, I try to remember that behind every moment, day, or year of pain and sorrow, there's an unknowable quantity of good things that can come.

'Live in the present' might sound cliche, but noticing and appreciating small, seemingly inconsequential things --- breath-vapor on a cold day, the green glow of sunlight through blades of grass, someone showing genuine kindness/empathy --- helps me see the good things life has to offer, even when things are bleak.

I feel like I should have so much more to say but my only reaction so far is repeatedly asking my screen, "Where is he? Where is he?" like a severely discounted Batman. .____.

My current state is all the angsty tracks from the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack.

I have so many theories, and an entire wishlist of endings, all pertaining to a singular orange boi (Cody). Hopefully at some point I can remember to post something coherent here regarding that because it would be fun to compare what this final season is like to what I thought might happen.

It's insane to me that this is the last remaining bit of Clone Wars -- more so, clone troopers -- that we will be getting from Star Wars. Sure, maybe they'll make a Captain Rex show down the road or have little cameos here and there, but this seems like the final bits of Clone Wars sunset over the edge of the horizon. And while it had it's ups and downs for me, I'm honestly going to miss having more clone stories, and discussions about those stories, in the community.

*No spoilers, just thoughts*

Just because you’re the quiet one, doesn’t mean you have nothing to say.

I always held a headcanon that Cody and Alpha went “way back” and possibly were part of the same batch or grew up at least somewhat together. Another long-held theory, which I might try to detail later, is that Cody got his characteristic facial scar (along with many others which we did not see --- mental and physical scars) from being Asajj’s POW along with Alpha and Obi-Wan. I love the idea that he would work along with Alpha to ‘distract’ Asajj from totally destroying Obi-Wan and then also be instrumental in the escape when Kenobi is still very weak due to the Force-removal mask (referencing the Star Wars Clone Wars Republic comic: The Best Blades). Cody’s scar has an almost intentional structure to it and the fact that it becomes raised and seems to take a long time to heal hints that it was inflicted in less than ideal environment (i.e. it got infected and wasn’t able to be treated for some time) by something that cut very deep as it seems to resemble almost a surgery scar. 

But here’s a happier scene where the two survivors are together probably starting Alpha’s training class; Alpha congratulating Cody on his new, earned rank (and also ability to publicly use his name without being branded a “dissident” or “malfunctioning” by the Kaminoans) and new armor. :) 

_________

Alt text: Clone trooper Alpha standing beside Cody, smiling slightly and pointing at Commander Cody with his thumb in a friendly way. “Commander Cody..It has a nice ring to it. Good color too. “Life”. Fits you.”

Cody stands on Alpha’s left also smiling mildly (as much as his still healing face will allow). “Thank you, Alpha.” His characteristic DC-15A is slung over one shoulder and he grips the strap. 

Warning: This is the spoiler version of my reaction to the Bad Batch Season 2 trailer so if you have not watched it yet, I highly recommend you do so. I’ll be breaking down a really big (or at least big to me) reveal that occurred which I think you’ll probably want to see for yourself to get the full shock. :) 

The non-super-spoiler/TLDR version is that I’m cautiously optimistic, somewhat terrified, and can’t spend time thinking about my favorite Star Wars character basically every day since I’ve watched this trailer. X_X I’m hopeful but also worried about what this story might be because of a particular, unexpected reveal.

Just to get this out of the way, I like the cinematography, the lighting, the animations, the character models...Just like in Clone Wars, the animation style really has come into its own over the years and this alone got me excited for this upcoming season. :) I actually like the new armor designs and coloration. It seems a bit haphazard but I suspect it may parallel a shift in perspectives for Bad Batch. I also like that Omega is getting older and seems a bit more capable in the trailer. I hope this means that she’ll be less likely to be constantly taken hostage like she was in the previous season. I would like to see her have more realistic responsibilities and behaviors not only as a member of the Bad Batch, but as a literal child who now has been exposed to her fair share of troubles. 

I’m not saying she should be immediately traumatized or that the show should center around her grappling with mental issues that sprung up. Instead, I hope this season will explore her role not only in Bad Batch and as a clone, but function a little better at giving us an idea what being at war and hunted is like through her. How does she feel knowing that her family is quickly aging and will one day not be able to care for her? Will she ever become unwilling to participate in a mission when she finally realizes the danger? How will she help in her own way where it doesn’t feel like her life is being placed in direct danger? What are her feelings about what happened during the war before Order 66? How does she feel about regular clones and will she also accept them as her family?

____________ 

*Spoiler version*

Ok, so now that we’ve got the spoiler warning out of the way! Onto the reaction!

Like I said earlier, I’m both excited and terrified about what this next season might hold all because Commander Cody is featured in the trailer. I recognized him in the part of the video where he and Crosshair were walking around the hallway and then, yikes!, point their gun at what appears to be Omega and another young person. XC But it wasn’t until I saw him without the helmet that I was forced to say, “Yep, that was definitely Cody.” and that made me both really happy/excited and really sad. 

Excited because this is literally my favorite Star Wars character (and one of my favorite characters EVER, if not top favorite) --- a character that I spent so many years enjoying drawing and writing about what I thought he was up to off screen in Revenge of the Sith, the EU books, and then Clone Wars. This is a character that I feel, in some way, positively guided me through my teen years and helped me heal from negative experiences. 

Gut punch:

Seeing him again, and immediately thinking, “He’s going to be the bad guy, isn’t he. He’s going to get killed.” was a gut punch. :( This might sound stupid but even though I was bitter about Cody not getting many stories or screen time in Clone Wars, I held onto the fact that this meant that his character wasn’t in danger of being used as a complete opposing foil to Rex --- which is where I think a lot of viewers just organically gravitated anyways. Which is fine, there’s nothing wrong if you see Cody as Rex’s opposite/foil. 

I’ve always viewed Cody as the precursor and forerunner to basically all clones (save for Alpha, who I believe may be the first named clone to ever exist in Star Wars --- which is extremely fitting considering at the end of Alpha’s introduction he specifically states going back to Kamino to teach other officers with the Jedi’s blessing to allow names instead of numbers). For me, Cody lays the groundwork for the type of struggles clones endure (finding identity, being their own type of leaders outside of the kind of ‘divine mandate’-ish way Force users look at it, not being super powered but existing in a super powered universe and surviving...) I much prefer the idea that Rex’s character arc in Clone Wars had him starting at much of the same place as Ahsoka (which is why he really rubbed me the wrong way) and then grow through his experience with being in bad/morally grey situations, learning humility and the value of being a servant leader, into someone who actually ended up more like Cody in the end (ironically). (I should make a blog post about those thoughts as well.)

Seeing him alongside Crosshair was alarming, unless they’ve somehow magically joined the rest of Bad Batch, which I doubt since they point their guns at what I think was Omega and someone else. :( So it feels like they’re setting him up to be a villain of some kind --- either crazy and brainwashed due to the inhibitor chip or, equally as bad, somehow completely drained of all humanity, intelligence, and empathy and now just a pawn of the Empire like Crosshair. And then he’s brandishing a knife defensively (RIP whoever he’s fighting, lol) and that’s never a good sign.

Yes, the creators own his story and can do whatever they like with it but I was really hoping that he could just “ride off into the sunset” and be forgotten by Disney. :L I didn’t want to see him and Rex fight because there’s only one way that would turn out: Rex, protected by eternal plot armor, would be the victor. I didn’t want him to reprise his role as the sacrificial clone whose only purpose was to die to preserve the same hero(es) (like Climber, Hardcase, Echo kinda, Waxer, Fives, etc.). I didn’t want to see him fight any heroes for that matter because that would mean that the Cody we see in the books and Clone Wars has crossed over a moral line that I believe defines who he is: Cody intrinsically values life (his orange-painted armor would signify as such according to Mandalorian color-meanings) and aware of right vs. wrong. For me, it would signify a failure for Cody to apply the same logic and empathy he displays throughout Clone Wars and the EU, and thus his character would essentially be dead.

Nimbus goes full-clown for a hot minute >_< :

This might be going ‘full clown’ here but I always (even before the inhibitor chips --- a concept I still dislike) saw Cody’s strange execution of Order 66 as him choosing the thousands of lives under his command over Kenobi’s. When I watch RoTS, I never saw him intending to kill Kenobi but rather to do a ‘fake out’ where really only he and the gunner would be responsible for the Jedi actually escaping --- Obi-Wan sadly believing that Cody had intentionally attacked. This would make sense to me as a carry through of the kind of person Cody is --- think the “I’ll do it myself’ scene from Cherynobl --- so that instead of an entire legion paying for a failure to kill Kenobi or protect against Kenobi’s attack, only he would be responsible. This is why I think, realistically, at the end of RoTS Cody would be almost immediately executed because his failure to make sure Kenobi was dead resulted in catastrophic damage to Vader, which Sidious was not pleased with at all. 

Remember, Cody is a brilliant strategist who knows the rules, knows when to make the exception to those rules (i.e. not killing Slick on sight or shooting Kenobi himself), and is able to come up with a new plan on the spot. If he could tread the knife edge of this problem, then why wouldn’t he be able to think his way out of the Empire --- because he would immediately see that it’s values do not align with the people-centered values he upheld throughout the Clone Wars. A complete 180 from saying “Cities are just buildings, it’s the people who make them homes.”, reprimanding Boil for using derogative terms for Twi’leks, and clearly having a history with 99 and Bad Batch in season 2 would be so jarring/unfortunate. Ok, enough of this headcanon before this post turns into a full-on book. x_x

The dilemma and danger of being a side character:

I guess, where I’m going with this, is that I’m tired of Cody being tied to Rex and to Order 66 as those two things are the only things that define his character forever. It bothers me that, while doing so much good for the clones, Clone Wars ended up showing that it’s only the ‘special’, hand-picked clones like Wolffe, Bad Batch, and Rex who can be redeemed/saved or do anything meaningful --- who exist as individuals outside of which Jedi they were assigned and have backstories longer than a single paragraph (Gree, Cody, Bly, and so many other clones had such rich histories in the EU that are basically erased now). 

Every time someone says Cody is “by the book” like it’s a condemnation (gonna write my own post about this because it deserves its own separate rant, lol) or that he wasn’t individualistic...it’s basically like saying all other clones not directly featured in Clone Wars or from the 501st were just meat-droids that mindlessly followed orders. As we see in Bad Batch, there’s so many reasons why each clone made the choices they did. I thought the Umbara arc did a great job reiterating the plethora of reasons clones have to follow orders, change their minds, and basically be believable characters in complex, morally grey situations.

It’s because of this characteristic that I’m not hopeful for how Cody will be portrayed in this new season of Bad Batch. Just reading some of the comments where people hoped that he would lose to Rex (and literally die) or stay with the Empire made me feel fearful for how this is going to play out. I don’t think the showrunners will forgo the popular “death battle” in exchange for a more thoughtful portrayal of a good person coming to terms with or explaining what happened during Order 66 and trying to escape. Again, this show and Clone Wars really does a number on the more grey or nuanced stories in favor of a pure black and white plotline. And that’s too bad. 

Predictions/Hopes:

I would love to see Cody subtly trying to get his brothers out of the Empire or make a difference there, before escaping. Maybe my theory of the Empire killing off clones to quell possible rebellion, especially clones like Cody who are known to have failed to kill their Generals during the Jedi Purge, causes Cody to gather clones to escape. Maybe he learns about the Dark Trooper project. *shudder* 

I would love to see him and Rex work together, now no longer under any ranks or being commanded by Jedi but instead by themselves. They can talk for as long as they like now, talk about their pasts (would love to hear stories about Cody and Alpha training Rex), mourn those that passed with Cody. Cody divulging that it’s possible Obi-Wan survived. I would love to know that he was one of the clones that was able to go on to live a civilian life, passing on what he had learned throughout his life to others.

I would love to have Omega and Cody interact positively in some way, maybe he tells her a story or teaches her something useful (like hand to hand combat or a trick to strategizing/anticipating enemy movements). It would be a terrible waste, I think, to have the literal first named clone in Star Wars (second if you’re counting Alpha from the EU) --- someone who literally helped lead the way for other clones, like Rex and Gree, to be allowed to show their individuality --- not to have some moment with Omega related to that aspect of his character. I would love for Cody to, for once, be able get a chance to tell his story and do more than just be support for Rex or whatever Jedi of the week was there (sorry, getting bitter about this all over again X’C). 

And I’m not asking for the show to be about him, because that won’t happen. I just want him to be treated well instead of being morphed into a flat plotpoint for another character to bounce off of instead of dance with. Even if that other character is Crosshair or Gregor (maybe he can help sway Crosshair). Especially in a show about clone troopers, it could show how each clone important and a dying culture in the Star Wars universe with valuable knowledge, past experiences, and individuality that’s not categorical by which side of the Force they’re on. Regarding the desire of many fans for Cody to oppose Rex and the others, I’d argue that it’s actually less cliche for an intelligent, thoughtful character to seek to make amends and repair the damage he unknowingly caused due to the inhibitor chip.

It’s not cliche for a character who has a track record of valuing life, selflessness, wanting to raise his brothers out of ‘facelessness’ to live as people instead of meat droids, and knowing evil when he sees it, to buck the Empire and what it made him become. It’s not cliche to show the value of different types of people rebelling in different types of ways. One doesn’t have to be sassy, aggressively confident, or so powerful the plot orbits them to be a good person or rebel against oppression in a unique and thoughtful way. I just want a good story, even if it’s bittersweet (which is basically a given), which a plot and motivations that make sense. 

Whatever happens, all I can say is that I will have to bring a box of tissues with me because there is no way I’m making it through any episode of this show without crying. TuT 

Thanks for making it to the end! :) Hopefully I didn’t annoy anyone with my rant. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t speak up for my favorite characters enough and just gush out with all my thoughts. I don’t expect it to change anyone’s opinion, least of all a showrunners, but just wanted to share my ideas about this lovely character. What are your thoughts? Are you excited for the next season? Do you think Cody deserves a good ending or should he continue at the same level he’s at? What do you think a conversation between Cody, Hunter, Omega, or Rex would go like?